On July 22, the Copyright Empowerment in Cultural Heritage Digitalization Salon was held in Xi'an，Shaanxi province, during the 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Digital Silk Road Development Forum. The event was co-hosted by the WIC Digital & AI Academy (WICDA), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Office in China, and the Shaanxi Provincial Copyright Bureau.

Sun Daguang, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shaanxi Provincial Committee and minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee; Wang Binying, deputy director general of WIPO; Liang Hao, executive deputy secretary-general of the WIC and executive vice dean of the WICDA; and Wang Zhicheng, director of the Copyright Administration of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the salon and delivered remarks. The event was moderated by a representative of the WIC.

During the keynote session, speakers from the WIPO Office in China and Tencent shared insights into how copyright can empower the digitalization of cultural heritage and how the cultural heritage and museum sector can advance innovation while strengthening legal protection in the AI era.

As for the roundtable session, experts from the WIC Specialized Committee on Cultural Heritage Digitalization and the Hainan Free Trade Port Intellectual Property Court, together with representatives from TMTPost, KissFuture, and Starbucks China, engaged in in-depth discussions on leveraging technology to strengthen copyright protection for cultural heritage, promoting the sustainable digitalization of cultural heritage through copyright protection, and advancing the coordinated development of technology and copyright.

The salon attracted more than 90 participants from 14 countries and regions, including representatives of international organizations and government agencies, as well as museum administrators from Shaanxi province, cultural professionals, researchers, and representatives from the digital industry.

The WICDA serves as the WIC's international platform for capacity building and cooperation. Through its salon series, the Academy aims to foster in-depth, cross-sector dialogue through small-scale, highly interactive discussions among closely connected stakeholders. Looking ahead, the Academy will continue to promote exchanges on the digitalization of cultural heritage and bring together expertise from across sectors to support innovation and collaboration.

Source：WIC